Purple and Fold.
The triple-double machine Josh Giddey took one dribble, leaped over half court and flicked his wrist ever so slightly, sinking a 47-foot buzzer-beater to break the hearts and stun the Los Angeles Lakers, just a day after their own game win against the Indiana Pacers and punctuated a drama-filled victory for the Chicago Bulls.
Giddey, who also recorded a triple-double, hit the shot as time expired Thursday at the United Center in Chicago. He did a little bit of everything, finishing the game with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.
“It was fun,” Giddey told reporters. “More than just the shot at the end, the way we got it. … There was a lot that led up to that point. Credit to the guys for fighting back.
“We could have thrown in the towel at any point during the fourth quarter, but we stuck with it. It was a fun game.”
The contest had just four lead changes and was tied once but had one of the most hectic finishes of the NBA season.
“Devastation,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “It’s a hell of a way to lose a basketball game.”
The Lakers led by five, 115-110, with 12.6 seconds remaining. Bulls forward Patrick Williams drilled a 3-pointer from the left corner on the ensuing possession. Giddey then stole a pass from LeBron James and dished it out to Coby White, who buried a go-ahead 3-pointer with six seconds left on the clock.
Embed from Getty ImagesGuard Austin Reaves, who sprained his ankle late in the fourth quarter, but came back into the game, made a layup three seconds later to give the lead back to the Lakers.
Giddey stood on the baseline for the final inbound pass. He sent the pass to Williams, who passed it back. Giddey caught the ball, took a single dribble and launched his prayer as James ran in to defend. Bulls players then swarmed Giddey in triumph after watching his game-winner swish through the net.
White came through in the clutch, scoring 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter. He became the first Bulls’ player since Michael Jordan to win Eastern Conference Player of the Week in consecutive weeks. Bulls forward Kevin Huerter added 21 points in the victory. Reaves continues to be on a heater, scoring a game-high 30 points for the Lakers. Lakers guard Luka Doncic totaled 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Bulls displayed a ‘never say die’ attitude. Coach Billy Donovan, who is a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, said that it took hold in September, during the players’ workouts at the team’s facility before the start of training camp.
“We’ve got to be in great shape to play this way,” he said. “They’ve got to push themselves. I think a lot of that stemmed before training camp started, when they all came back in September. They played most of their pickup games with a 14-second shot clock just to kind of get that mentality down. We tried to go through training camp like that. I think there’s advantages by really trying to play in a way that forces these guys to be in great shape.”
James chipped in 17 points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Lakers center Jaxson Hayes recorded 19 points and eight rebounds.
“We put ourselves in position to win, gave up a lot of 3s in the fourth quarter, still put ourselves in position to win,” James said. “Horrible turnover by myself, miscommunication the play before that. AR tried to save us. Tip your hats.”
The Bulls (33-40), who are on a four-game winning streak, sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. They will host Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks (36-38) at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the United Center.
The Lakers (44-29), losers of four of their last five games, sit in fourth place in the jumbled Western Conference. They will face the Memphis Grizzlies (44-29) at 8 p.m. Saturday in Memphis.
